


Dismissive Apprehension

by Lamia of the Dark (VisceraNight)



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Angst, F/M, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-28 11:43:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2731217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisceraNight/pseuds/Lamia%20of%20the%20Dark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of the game, Rinoa went back to Seifer. Several years later, Squall receives an invitation to their wedding but doesn't know how to feel about it and goes to an old friend for advice...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dismissive Apprehension

~ Dismissive Apprehension ~

She is leaning against the balcony railing, staring out at the night sky. It feels oddly reminiscent of their awkward "first date" so long ago.

That is how he thinks of that night now, although he did not recognize it as anything of the sort at the time that it was happening. Looking back, he understands much more than he did at the time he lived through it.

He wonders if he will look back on recent events in later years and see them with such clarity. Right now he feels completely clueless, which is why he's come to her for advice.

"They invited me to their wedding," he says without preamble.

After a beat of silence just short of qualifying as an awkward pause, she answers.

"Okay."

"... that's it?" he asks, nonplussed.

"I don't know what you want me to say," she snaps, turning to face him.

"I just... wanted to talk to you," he explains awkwardly.

Oh, the irony...

"I hear walls are good for that," she replies, throwing his own words back in his face.

 _Is she really still mad at me for something that happened so long ago?_  he wonders. "I-" he starts, but he doesn't know how to continue the conversation from here.

Then he sees that she is laughing at him.

"You have a terrible sense of humor," he tells her. The note of annoyance in his tone conceals the feeling of relief that courses through him.

"But you're so much fun to tease."

"Your comedic timing could also use improvement."

"Okay, okay, I get it," she says. "You have a serious problem and you want my advice."

He nods once to confirm.

She sighs.

"I don't know what to tell you. I got an invitation, too. I'll probably go... Then again, I don't have the kind of problems with either of them that you do."

"What would you have done if it was-"

"Don't," she interrupts him.

"What?" he blurts out in surprise.

"Don't ask me something like that."

 _How does she know what I was going to say?_  Out loud, he says only: "Why not?"

"Firstly, because I don't want to hear those words come out of your mouth. Secondly, because my answer wouldn't help you."

He finds the lack of actual advice resulting from the conversation vaguely disappointing, but for some reason he feels much calmer now.

The silence stretches on for so long that he begins to wonder whether he should say anything else or just leave.

"Do you  _want_  to go to the wedding?" she asks suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"I- I... don't know..." he responds hesitantly.

"We could go together," she offers.

A few years ago, he wouldn't have understood the subtext of that offer. He could choose to purposely misinterpret her meaning now and she probably wouldn't know the difference.

But he doesn't.

"Like a date?"

"Yeah."

"... okay."

~end~


End file.
